Crankbrothers Kronolog Telescoping Seat Post Review

Crankbrother's Kronolog telescoping seat post steps away from the hydraulic internals that were used within the infamous Joplin design, instead utilizing a full mechanical layout that greatly resembles the locking plate system found on bar clamps. The design makes the Kronolog the only mechanical post that is infinitely adjustable, allowing users to select any seat height between its fully dropped and fully raised positions. Total available travel is 125mm, although that number can be lowered by way of an internal spacer. The 465 gram Kronolog retails for $300 USD, and is available in 30.9 and 31.6mm sizes.

The 125mm travel Kronolog employs proven technology that is very similar to what you'll find on the common bar clamp.

Locking Plates: A set of twin steel plates, each one encircling the post's upper tube, sit within the larger diameter portion of the post's lower tube. A spring positioned between the plates pushes them apart, forcing both the forward and rearward inner edges of plates into contact with the upper tube, which in turn holds it steady from rising or lowering. When the remote lever is pushed the cable pulls the plates together so that they are parallel with each other, allowing the upper tube to cycle freely. Release the remote lever and the spring between the plates force them apart at an angle into the upper tube's clamping surface. The system may sound complicated at first, but it is actually one of the simplest telescoping post designs out there, with possibly only the Gravity Dropper being more straightforward. Crankbrothers is quick to point out that the inspiration for the post's locking mechanism comes from the locking plate design found on bar clamps, a system that has been in use for countless years.

An air spring is employed to raise the saddle, with it being adjustable via a schrader valve at the bottom of the post. Air pressure is recommended to be set between 55 and 75psi, which will also effect the effort it takes to lower the post. Adding air will speed up the Kronolog's return speed, while lowering the pressure will slow it down.

The housing stop is located in an insert at the lower plate, while the upper plate is home to the cable clamp insert. Pushing the remote pulls the plates parallel to each other, which lets the upper tube slide freely until cable tension is released and the plates return to an angled position, gripping the upper tube.

Stationary Cable: The Kronolog's clamping mechanism is tucked away inside the larger diameter section of the lower tube that, when the post is installed into your bike, sits just above the frame's seat post clamp. This brings us to what is likely the Kronolog's most attractive feature: the design means that the actuation cable is stationary - it does not move as the post goes through its travel - so that there will not be a surplus of cable loop that can rub on your leg or rear tire when the seat is in its lowered position. Riders who have had to use copious amounts of zip-ties to keep their dropper post cable in line will likely appreciate this, although the design also limits the Kronolog's insertion depth. The Kronolog measures 217mm/8.5'' from maximum insertion to the saddle rail clamp when at full height, compared to a Reverb's 195mm/7.6'' height. Riders with short legs take note, the Kronolog may not work for you.

The post is operated remotely (there is no post mounted lever option) via a hinged, bar mounted lever that can be fitted to the top or bottom of either side of the handlebar. The sturdy looking remote is home to the shift cable that operates the post, with a small spring fitted under the cable head in order to take up the 3 - 4mm of cable slack that the Kronolog requires to function properly. A barrel adjuster makes tuning cable tension easy, and the post comes from Crankbrothers pre-strung with 4mm brake housing that offers more flexibility than shift housing.

The actuation mechanism and cable anchor point are both found under a removable cover on the post's lower tube. The cover is slid up to gain access to the internals, and slid back down over top and clicked into place. The cable is pinched in place within an insert in the upper plate by way of a 2mm set screw.

The upper tube and clamp head are both forged from the same piece of aluminum, eliminating the bonded joint between the two that is found on most other designs, and a juncture that can often be home to creaks and groans.

Performance

Setup: The Kronolog comes ready go out of the box with a cable and housing already installed, but we stripped it down in order to see how easy it was to setup the post up from scratch. Fitting a cable is relatively simple, and Crankbothers' illustrated instructions do a good job of explaining how to go about it. There is a small and very important spring, positioned under the cable's head that can be easily lost if you are not paying attention, that allows for 3 - 4mm of lever free play before cable tension is applied to the post's locking mechanism. This part of the setup is crucial for consistent action from the Kronolog - too much cable tension and the post will lower or raise on its own, so it is important to get it correct. A barrel adjuster on the remote lever makes this task easy, and the lever is also hinged for straightforward installation and removal. We installed ours on top of the bar at the left side, but it can be positioned on the top or bottom of either side.

The saddle clamp is a single bolt affair, although it appears to be offer quite a bit more support than what was employed on the older Joplin post. The torx head bolt is to be clamped at 106 in/lbs, and the female side to the clamping bolt is captured within the post's head to make fitting a saddle as easy as possible.

The dust seal conforms to the upper tube's oval shape (left) to keep grime out of the inner workings. Knurling has been added to the clamping surface of the upper tube (middle). An air valve that is located at the bottom of the post lets users adjust the pressure in order to tune rebound speed.

On The Trail: The Kronolog has close to zero play at the nose of the saddle, much less than what we've seen from other designs. This lack of movement is down to a few reasons: it's forged upper tube employs flat sides that mate with a bushing chosen specifically for each post, and the twin locking plates also grip firmly to help take out any wiggle. Having said that, we'll admit the even the worst offending posts in this regard don't have us noticing their excessive play when on the bike, but it is nice that the Kronolog is the tightest feeling of the many posts we've tested. The remote lever is also among the most ergonomic that we've used, with the thumb paddle in just the right spot in relation to its bar clamp. Its thin, hinged mounting band takes up very little real estate, letting you position it where it makes the most sense for you.

The Kronolog's most talked about feature has to be its stationary cable entry point located on its lower tube, meaning that the cable stays put as the post goes through its travel. This is in contrast to the majority of the competition who's actuation cable terminates at the post's head. The latter design often necessitates creative cable management with far too many zip-ties, and even then it is common to either have surplus cable hang out from the bike that rubs on your leg or rear tire when the saddle is lowered. No such complications with the Kronolog: size the cable to the correct length and forget about it. Some riders may not be fans of the bulbous 'growth' on the lower tube that houses the cable entry point and locking mechanism, but form follows function with the Kronolog.

The locking plate mechanism allows the saddle height to be positioned anywhere between full height and fully dropped.

The post's action is reasonably smooth in a mechanical sort of way, even after many rides in nasty conditions and an equal amount of abusive cleanings with a power washer. Hit the lever and the saddle rises or lowers fluidly, although it does take slightly more force to lower than some of the competition. The ability to infinitely adjust the saddle height is beneficial on steep and technical climbs where a slightly lower center of gravity can lift your confidence. The same can be said on rolling or technical portions of flat trail, both scenarios where a slightly lower seat height can make a world of difference. Having also used telescoping posts that offer a set 'cruiser' position that is slightly lower than full height, we have to say that we do prefer the Kronolog's infinite adjustability that allows you to decide the height that works best for you. The twin locking plate design will also not allow the saddle to be pulled up when already lowered unless the remote is pushed, a plus if you ever have to lift your bike by its seat when out on the trail.

Required lever force isn't excessive, but you are fighting the spring between both locking plates, forcing them together to free the upper tube, and you can feel this in your thumb. Pushing the remote lever while weighting the saddle results in it dropping freely, unlike some of the mechanical designs out there that require you to unweight the saddle slightly to keep the mechanism from jamming. This, along with the very ergonomic remote, go a long way in making the post highly intuitive when in the heat of the moment on the trail.

The remote is one area where many manufacturers seem to fall short in. Not so with the Kronolog. Its ergonomics are spot on. We also didn't manage to damage it, despite multiple bike-cartwheeling spills, and plenty of flat repairs that saw the bike upside down and resting on the remote.

Issues

There is a lot to like about the Kronolog post, but we still wouldn't call it trouble free. The design uses air pressure to raise the saddle, a system that is clearly going to be much lighter than a coil spring, but it isn't without issue. The post's return speed slows noticeably as it nears the top of its travel, a trait that Crankbrothers' boasts ''... allows the saddle to return to a normal riding position in two, smooth stages'' but, more often than not, it just left us wondering if it was actually at full extension. An audible noise, a simple 'klunk' when it tops out, would be welcomed to let the rider know that yes, the post is at its full height. The air spring had the same effect at the opposite end of the stroke, sometimes making it difficult to get it to fully lower in the heat of the moment, and even requiring a firm push with the bum to get that last bit of travel out of it. While accessing the final 10mm of the Kronolog's stroke might not seem like a big deal, its 125mm of travel should be easily available. The post's single bolt saddle clamp also rotated once under us, putting the saddle at a wonky angle and further enforcing our belief that all saddle clamps should use two opposing bolts.

The bigger issue, though, involved the Kronolog's inability to hold the saddle at either full extension or fully lowered. The post's upper tube makes use of a knurled surface where the locking plates grip hold, and it took about a month's worth of riding time until this knurled aluminum clamping surface was worn smooth by the twin steel locking plates in the two locations where it was most commonly locked into position: fully extended and fully dropped. The profile of the upper tube was altered enough that the locking plates simply refuse to hold the post at full height when the saddle is weighted (letting it drop roughly half of one inch ), and it also will raise up slightly until the plates grip onto an undamaged section of upper tube when fully lowered. This slipping will even occur when the actuation cable is not attached to the locking mechanism, and it means that we actually have to raise the post slightly in the frame to compensate for when it lowers under our body weight. This compounds the issue of it popping up a half an inch when it should be in its fully lowered position on a downhill section of trail. The damage can be seen in the photo to the right.

Crankbrothers Responds:

We talked to Crankbrothers' Clark Brewster, the lead developer on the Kronolog project, regarding our concerns about their new telescoping post. Brewster was quick to point out that the Kronolog employs an O-ring atop the post's piston that acts as a top out bumper, and that removing it will result in the audible 'kunk' that would let us know that the saddle is at full height. The modification is quite simple, and the same job can be performed on the damper piston to allow the rebound speed to be increased as well. The bigger issue at hand, though, is the scoring we experienced on the post's upper tube. The grooves that have been machined into the post from the factory are, Brewster says, "purely cosmetic and they are there to hide the marks that naturally occur with use. Over time, the marks form a nice patina, but we found that without the cosmetic grooves, the marks don't look very good." Brewster continues, "The grooves however, are a good indicator of wear. If there are no grooves, it means that the diameter of the circular section has changed, and some sort of bad wear is occurring." This brings us to the premature wear inflicted to our Kronolog that, Brewster says, is down to an incorrect setup.

The Kronolog's relatively simple twin steel locking plates either must be fully open to allow the post's upper tube to cycle up and and down freely, or fully closed against the upper tube in order to hold it in place. It's when the rings are only partially activated that damage to the upper tube will occur, says Brewster. "Please note that during our ride testing, we have posts that have over 2000 hours of riding on them," he continues "and without the shaving or slipping that you experienced. Fundamentally, the system works and is robust. When the system is adjusted correctly (with the proper amount of lever play), and the parts are made correctly, then the post should operate extremely well." Brewster puts the blame for our post's damage on either faulty cable tension setup or a burr on the cable that prevented it from releasing properly, and also admits that 3 - 4mm of lever free play is ideal instead of their original number of 2 - 3mm.

Pinkbike's take:

There is a lot to like about Crankbrothers' Kronolog seat post; its stationary cable entry point, infinite adjustability, great remote, and sturdy saddle clamp all adding to its point tally in our minds. But it does, unfortunately, have a few foibles. More consistent compression and rebound speeds throughout its entire stroke, as well as an audible indicator as to when it is at full height, would make a huge difference in the performance of the post out of the box. But it's the damage to the upper tube that concerns us the most. The twin locking plate design has been proven in other forms for many years, but we have our reservations about its use on the Kronolog if its function is compromised by the cable being out of adjustment by only a millimeter or two, although we still stick to our guns about our installation being spot on. Ideally, we'd like to see Crankbrothers change the clamping surfaces on the upper tube to something sturdier before we give the Kronolog full marks, eliminating the chance of damaging the post.- Mike Levy

184 Comments

The issue with the upper tube wearing makes this post a massive fail in the my opinion. Problem is that if you have 2 materials in contact with each other the softer of the 2 is going to wear (steel clamp vs. Aluminium tube). It's simple stuff that should have been figured out before the testing or even prototyping phase got under way. Thing is, being a Crank Brothers product it doesn't surprise me.

I love the design and the mechanical approach, but that wearing of the knurled surface is troubling. I hope they come out with another version with steel inserts at the clamping surface or something. If they did I would probably buy it.

If they can fix it I would actually want this post. I haven't wanted any other adjustable post yet so that is saying something. I know it wouldn't be "infinitely adjustable" but wouldn't notches in the post for the plates to lock into fix the problem?

"It's when the rings are only partially activated that damage to the upper tube will occur, says Brewster. "

I understand what he's saying, but like you said, it's just prone to have problems, because if I understand the issue correctly, in plain speak, the rider must unweight the saddle before depressing the bar mounted remote and then use your body weight to lower the post. with some practice this could happen pretty fluidly, but I imagine for the most part, people will not be doing this on the trail. you don't want to have to think about anything other than the trail your riding,

I think they're a great addition... Depends on your riding though, if you ride technical cross country trails with lots of undulating terrain then I think they're a great way of adding more fun and flow to your rides!

i wonder if a disc brake caliper sort of thing on each side of the post(smaller then used for bike brakes of course) would work, with also a skinny replaceable strip of steel attached to the flat part of the post where the pad would grab. mech or hydro

@FLY1NGF1SH - "take it apart and mess with it..." Really? You mean take off the removable cover and change the actuation cable, something that every Kronolog owner will have to do at some point if they want to replace an old cable? I always like to take things apart in order to learn how they function, but removing the mechanism cover doesn't even count as that =)

Nice review. I got a Command Post, thought I hated it because of the play and tried the Reverb and hated it even more because of the infinite adjustment. The Reverb has a better lever and less play but I hated guessing where to set the height, a alot of times I would get it a little too high or low, it would feel a little odd, then have to readjust it. Not what you want to be doing on a fast DH. The Command Post only has three settings so your muscle memory gets used to those three settings and you just set it and forget it rather than set it and wonder if it's a little too low or high.
The only reliable thing Crank Bros
makes is stickers.

Specialized's collet design with 3 positions is the best mechanism that I have found. It's clean, has repeatable positioning and is very durable. I had high hopes for the Kronolog, but was concerned about the longevity of the aluminum contact points.

I've been so happy with my mission control post that I just picked up a 125mm Black light for the extra 1" of travel. If you're looking for a post, I highly recommend it. PM me if you are want a 100mm (4" travel) 30.9. $160 and includes a full rebuild kit ($30 value). It never needed servicing..

why should i mount a post on my AM bike and then spend the whole time riding with being careful? my fork, my rims, my frame all of my bike suffers from my bad riding style, screwed up landings and stopping with the help of trees, but i have to look carefully after my post when lifting and dropping it?

Where the hell did they get the idea for that locking mechanism? The only place I've seen a locking mechanism like that is on a caulking gun, and thats all steel, and doesnt take the weight of a person on it. Plus, you have a knurled non-circular shaft forcing its way through a round seal. That's like a certain type of unconventional intercourse without lube. You're gonna tear something and make a mess of your internals, if you know what I mean. No kidding you saw the knurling getting shaved off. A long term test would also show serious seal wear and particle ingress into the post.

The locking mechanism is the same basic (very basic) layout as used on tool clamps as well, as well a few other things like the caulking gun like you mentioned. Been around for a long time, but maybe not executed exactly as it should be on the Kronolog. I do feel that it can easily work well for a long time and easily hold, but obviously some things need to be altered for that to happen.

Funny thing about that seal; it seemed to actually do a good job of keeping grime out of the mechanism. I rode the post in a lot of bad weather in B.C., loads of riding in super dusty Utah and Arizona locations, and also jet washed the hell out the bike for cleaning, and the seal seemed to work just fine. I was surprised and pleased about that!

I've have had with mine (broken piston in remote due to its shitty material, spare availability next to none ), I still have some (back/fwd play, sometimes causing problms with lowering it) - but I still love it. I also love the lever on KS though...

I didn't care until it started making trouble with sliding it down - I know what you thinking - I'm not fat! When it will be time to overhaul the thing, I will try to put something in to limit the extension - I don't need 125mm of travel anyways. 70-80 will be enough and I will get less leverage on bushings

@Ian @Waki - indeed the Enduro collar does come with all 2012 Reverbs, although it won't lessen the bushing leverage you mentioned Waki. It will only allow you to go from fully extended to partially compressed (depending on where you set the collar). That said, it is an excellent little piece of security to bring along on that epic all-day or multi-day ride: if your Reverb blows and won't hold in the extended position, you can use the Enduro collar to lock your post up and get a decent ride back home!

I meant the other way around, so it does not extend to full length. WHen I take it apart for overhaul I'll see if that's possible. You can limit travel on nearly all forks but well... apples and oranges analogy maybe?

Might take some time leef... until then you can do some deadlifts and swings everyday, lower your seat an inch lower than what you'd do on uphill. I will let you crank that sht up as well as descend without touching the QR! As a bonus your overall fitness level will go up and you can't buy that with dropper post

kootenaybikes: saddle too low causing knee injuries is a myth, propagated mostly by bike fit specialists - you know Bob at MEC told me that I'll get a bike fit for free if I buy one of their bikes! He had to motivate me why is bike fit so imporant! Knee thing is sooo scary!

1.I try sit only on the way to the woods and to regenerate after standing pedalling efforts in technical terrain. at least until I'm getting really beat up by the trail.

2.Having the seat up you should be able to do 90% of what you can do with the dropper - you have skills taking you through certain obstacles or you don't have them and you cheat yourself with technology which sooner or later will take you down badly. Hint: look how high are the saddles of good DHillers - way higher than those of some dropper warriors...

The best fk up you can do to your knees and lower back is get some clipless pedals, stiff XC/road shoes and do lots of riding while not doing any lower back training. My sister in law is an accomplished roadie, her boyfriend rides Giro d'Italia now, I know injuries that they and their cycling friends go through. Standing pedalling on flat pedals is as close to walking and running as biking can make your body move - and we evolved to do move that way, not to sit on some tight thing and spin our legs in circles.

Im not hating on roadies - their sport is so "old" now that it already crossed the line of being "recreational" in a way that: you do it - it improves your health. Right now all it does is it might improve your cardio, but due o the way the bike's geo's made - it does all the bad stuff to the rest of your body - knees, back, neck, wrists. For me MTB with accompanying strength and cardio training is the way to stay a healthy person. And for gravity folks I believe riding little without strength training and going for DH tracks and even worse DH comps, where you force yourself to get out of your comfort zone - is as stupid if not worse... but mainstream does not tolerate truth, at least not for longer time - gets uncomfy...

yyy... yea? I have the dropper on Nomad, and normal post on HT. While on HT I ride full length on asphalt on the way to woods (what sometimes takes up to 1h) As soon as I'm at the trail head (which not necessarily is the top of some descend) I lower the post around 2 inches down, which is enough for anything I am about hit on downhills and still provides good pedalling while regenerating seated. If I know I will be riding something gnarlier or super fun I lower the post 3"+ down the full length position and pedal standing, both on pinning and on regeneration parts. Once you learn your trails, you know where it is good to preserve strength to pin the most fun parts. Sometimes it does get sketchy (I don't use clips - double trouble on HT) and I can't hit all of the stuff as fast as I would with the dropper, but it's also a different technique and using different lines. It's a good training for moving over the bike, it's a good motivation to do more standing pedalling, ultimately to get fitter... I'm yet to try a Single speed!

Some decent enduro bloke on Dirt TV said it well (maybe a bit exaggerated but still) on why isn't he using dropper post - if you can't pedal standing for 4 minutes or so, maybe you should rethink what you do and change the hobby...

The way I see it, Crank Brothers products that contain no moving parts (bars, stems, grips) are superb, and some of the best on the market. But as soon as something has to move (dropper posts, wheels, pedals) then their reliability and build quality are just awful.

Hence why in my shop, we have Cobalt and Iodine bars on the wall, but alongside Shimano pedals, Mavic wheels and RockShox seatposts

I still haven't managed to sell my for ACIDs carbon that I used twice - price is 5$ ... wait! after those two "family" rides they look worse than my Shimanos after 3 years... nobody believes me they're almost brand new!

I have had two of their previous Joplin posts..both broke..I did return the last one, which broke 6 month after I bought it for warranty and was offered to buy a new shitty product for a 20% discount...Thanks but NO THANKS...now ride a KS 950i; yes it too breaks but the company stands behind their product and replaced the cartridge on warranty...20$ and I have a sweet new post....

Crankbrothers Opium wheels are incredible. Not one flat running tubeless and they are true after riding Windrock Tennessee. Watch some footage from there and you'll see. My buddies Industry Nines didn't make it through without a true.

My kronolog was sent back to CB for the same scoring on the outer post. I thought it was the setup so I ran it with no cable for one ride and still had it fall 1/2 inch. I tried several differant fixes including the 3-4 mm of lever play but still the same drop. The shop I deal with has not hurd anything back from them. Also I have another buddy I ride with that is having the same issue and he is running it stock out of the box and has not had to put a longer cable on. For the amount of money this should not happen.

Gravity Dropper is still the best adjustable post by far. It uses the simplest and most reliable technology, is the most user friendly and accessible, and you can buy literally every single component of the unit from their website for replacement. It's just a shame it's so damn ugly. If Gravity Dropper had Crank Bros prettyness then nothing on the market would touch it.

+1 for GD. Can't believe how other companies market infinite height adjustment as a benefit. It's annoying more than anything. With GD, you have the option to pre-select drop height. Also, I never thought of that audible klunk when fully extended was a benefit till Mike Levy mentioned it. And GD's klunk is hard to miss.. Who cares how it looks if it just works, and it works extremely well everytime. Haven't had the need to service it once in 10months time, ever since I got rid of the Reverb. Finally for the main selling point, GD also works as a mid-ride party trick for launching things off the saddle!

1) Kudos to Mike Levy for the straight dope...not the manufacturer's PR BS that RC regurgitates. (Hey RC what McGuyver crap is next, how to fashion a new chain on the trail using only bailing wire, gum, an acetyln torch, and cracker jacks?

2) The reviews are already coming in on MTBR and these things are suffering failure right out of the box.

3) CB is claiming here that it's 'user error'. Here's news CB, a design that isn't idiot proof is designed by idiots. Merely claiming you have posts that have been successful in testing highlights the quality control that you fail to comprehend. The fact that one unit is good is meaningless...it's HOW MANY UNITS FAIL! How can you still not comprehend this? For the love of God, would you brand and industrial design wannabes at CB please hire somebody who understand the first thing about quality control and design for manufacture!!!

4) CB will go belly up in less than 5 years, mark my words. Who in their right mind would buy anything knowing their track record on pedal, wheels, Joplin posts, the list goes on!

This post looked really good at first, but I wondered about this clamping issue right away and suspicions are confirmed. Unfortunately other posts that require service to keep them working just require service. This post is a throw away when it's done, and after only 1 month's riding?? Wow, massive failure. Even if it was slightly out of adjustment which I doubt because Levy knows what he's doing, bike parts need to be made robust enough to endure slight adjustment issues and wear. It's a fricken bicycle, not a rocket.

perhaps my biggest laugh is to blame the rider. Levy would have taken more care than the average rider. Crank Brothers may not be able to design a dropper post, but they've definitely figured a way to hammer nails into their own coffin.

If it's that easy to have "user error" then maybe Clark Brewster should leave engineering to people who are qualified. A good engineer would make a product prototype that minimizes user error, and a final product that nearly eliminates user error possibilities, with at the very least a comprehensive instruction that walks users through potential errors and shows and tells how to avoid those errors.

Crank Brothers needs more focus on engineering. I don't really care about their oh-so-cool aesthetic emphasis, where how something is "packaged" is more important than its sound function or its durability. Planned obsolescence and intentionally cheap construction seem to be driving forces at Crank Bros.

You hit it 100% on designing to minimize user error - that was my first thought when he said it was either a set up or manufacturing error. I am pretty sure Mike Levy is plenty qualified to set up the post correctly.

Saying it is a set up error or a manufacturing error is just a way to try to talk your way out of admitting it is a poorly designed product. I love how simple it is, but if it doesn't last and is super sensitive to set up "errors" then something needs to be changed. I was excited about this post, but not anymore. Let's see how the KS Lev holds up.

I wish I had the means to develop my own concepts for bike parts....hopefully soon...

As someone who works designing things, I don't understand how these large, well developed companies keep coming up with products that have what I consider fatal design flaws and which lead such short lives. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems a knurled surface transits across a seal face on this post... and in addition to that the knurled surface is susceptible to wear during normal operation?

It must be the price point. A good dropper seat would cost 600 dollars and last 3 years, when you'd throw it out and go again, or send it off for a rebuild of the guts and replacement of the seals and seal surfaces. Instead you pay 300 bucks and get less than a year out of it. Economy!

J-oryx - it's called the disposable marketplace. They design things to be obsolete after X amount of time. They should at least design it to work well while it's functional though. This market is exactly why I use older equipment in my house(kitchen, sinks, etc) because they have parts that can be easily replaced rather than just throwing something away or filling the garage with crap.

Crank Brothers is trying to be Apple and get the aesthetics down only without making mechanical things work well. They certainly sell their wares because there are people who go for the industrial look of their products. Yet, every single person I know who have had their products hates them. They will eventually kill themselves with poor design.

I don't personally see the need for a dropper post but I wouldn't get this one.

It would be nice if Specialized and Crank brothers got together and married their designs. A 3 position collet system like the command post, with the location of the mechanism on the Kronolog and you have a clear winner.
Infinite adjustment and mechanical just don't go together for reliability, there is going to be wear, sounds like Crank Brothers is relying on a concept and not reality. You have to design these things for people that do not keep the cable tension perfect, not everyone is a mechanic.

ha - yup - that's the point though. Levy is pretty anal (retentive) with his bikes. If he can set up the Kronolog "incorrectly" per CB specs and speculation then I and many others would screw it up for sure.

i must be the only one who thinks there's nothing wrong with the Joplin design... that is after its rebuilt properly, swap the crappy Schrader valve that it comes with, for something more suited for high pressure suspension use, add fresh 3/5wt oil and 75psi, since I've done this to my post, it doesnt sag, it doesnt raise up on its own, its got solid rebound, aside from the sliding blocks going bad it works perfectly.

i agree dereka - i've had one for three years and works well. just the side play the issue but can live with that. Was looking to upgrade to the 125mm - would be nice to be able to drop more for the really steep stuff but may have to wait considering this review....

I've got a Joplin 4 and it works great. The remote is super easy to use and setting it up is easy - good instructions. For those complaining about prices on dropper posts, you can get a Joplin 4 really cheap right now. Sad to see the Kronolog might be a step backward. I've had eggbeaters since they came out and they aren't perfect, but the performance is so high I can deal with small problems. Mtn bike stuff can't last forever, but I hope CB figures it out and stays in the game.

I had high expectations for the kronolog and I'm pretty bummed it didn't live up. I've had mine for almost three weeks now and haven't had any problem with slipping, but unfortunately the the seal didn't hold up. First ride I went on with the kronolog was a three hour ride in the rain and by the end of it I couldn't get my post to extend back up. Afterwards I took it all apart and the thing was filled with mud and water. Cleaned it, re-greased it, and put it back together and it worked like new again, but the same thing happened again a week later. I cleaned it again and this time fashioned a custom neoprene boot for it which seems to be keeping the elements out well. Is anyone else having problems with the seal not doing its job? I'm curious to know since I called Crank Brothers and they said I was the first person they've heard of who was having such severe problems with mud.

They can't use the same metals for the clips and the catch, or it wouldn't grip like it does. They need to find metals that are more similar in durability and make the slides replaceable. Innovative nonetheless.

theres lots of people waiting for lev reviews, so get on it asap! i'm debating just buying one of the first batch and hoping for the best, been wanting a dropper for ages and was just about to purchase a i950 when i saw the prototype lev, now been waiting for so long for it to be availible i just want one now.... well actually i wanted one about a year ago but chose to wait for the lev. really hope it does what it says on the tin...

Great, honest review. I really appreciate that you gave the manufacturer a chance to comment on your observations as well.

As I understand it, a good portion of the wear is occurring where the post is being forced to move before / without the clamps fully disengaged. If you had an indexed point on the lever, you could ensure proper [full] disengagement before weighting / unweighting the post.

There's a bit of figuring out to indexing point, but you could have it indexed to lever throw independent of the barrel adjuster/ cable tension/ free play.

When they first started making cams for rock climbing they made the domed surfaces smooth, but the majority of the public (aka john "I don't know shit" doe wouldn't buy them because they felt they were unsafe and would slip. They put ridges on them and voila now days they sell like hot cakes.They don't function any differently but it was how they were perceived. The plate friction should hold a smooth post no problem and the ridge ascetic was much the same here. The incorrect assembly or incorrect specs for free play ( I'll give mike the benefit of the doubt ) caused damage offsetting the plates and causing slip which was exacerbated through use. You all brag ( Not mike, the forum goers) about being top mechanics, nailing torque specs, psi's, and what not but complain about having to nail a 2mm window come on.

That clamp design is horrible, and they should know better than to clamp steel to aluminum in that fashion...any mechanical engineer would agree. I have been researching dropper seat posts a lot lately, getting ready to buy one. This one just got dropped off my list...

As of right now, the only one I would consider is the Specialized Command Post Blacklite (not the old one). It is pretty solid and easy to service. The only downside for me is that the cable enters the head, and thus moves when you drop the seat. But the discrete lever and solid position engagement is very nice. A RS Reverb would be interesting, but I would prefer a mechanical design, rather than adding yet another hydraulic line to my bike since they require additional parts that aren't as readily available.

The up-and-coming post I am most excited about is the KS Lev. That could be worth the wait (and the $$$).

"When the system is adjusted correctly (with the proper amount of lever play), and the parts are made correctly, then the post should operate extremely well."

I call BS. I seen the reviews on MTBR about the seat post not going back up. Also I actually met one person who had the ED problem in Fruita where the seat post will not go up. At least when RockShox had teething issues with the 11 Reverb; they actually admitted fault and repaired it right away. Great idea, poor execution on this product. I don't mind spending the money, but if I'm spending 300-400 on a product to have it sometime work is unacceptable.

Mike, and anyone for that matter, My Kronolog started slipping about 1 to 2 cm from full extension on the second ride. I followed setup proceedures of the post and remote and even had 3 to 4mm of play in the cable so not to engage and release the post. A CB rep looked at the post and said that now they are finding the cable needs 6mm of slack! 6mm! Setup of the remote specs called for only 2 to 3mm slack as you already know. CB will change out the scratched stanchon, set up the remote cable with 6mm slack and ship it back to me at no charge. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this solves the problem. I like the post in every other aspect.

My Crankbrothers seat post is a big piece of s--t. Been back to crankbrothers twice, works for about a month. My Opium down hill wheels are worthless also. Crankbrothers is pretty to look at, just don't use it.

I was kind of disapointed when I saw that the kronolog didn't hydraulic remote like the reverb in the above pictures. Although I probably should of researched it instead of assuming that it was hydraulic. Although I do agree that there is a lot more adjustablity with this post, I think ill be happy with my Joplin 4r...

Amazing.
I was surprised to see a review of a product that has only been on the market for such a short period of time, but once I read the article and realized the product had already failed, I completely understood. lol.
Fingers crossed Thompson figures it out when they release theirs later this year.

I'm well gutted, feels like ages since first hearing about the kronolog and now so close to me actually buying mine i find out there is a major fault with what seemed like the perfect post for me. I was willing to pay the £220 but with the possibility of the knurled upper post getting damaged within a few months and CrankBothers blaming the owner instead of the stuipid mistake of not using a stainless steel insert for the knurled section instead of alloy. I hate all dropper posts where the cable/piping go to the upper tube/seat clamp ( which again i consider to be a huge design flaw ) so now i'm wondering if i'll ever buy a dropper post GUTTED !!!!!!!!!!!

Not to argue with you but alloy applies to all sorts of metals not just aluminum. And the failure isn't due to the differing materials. Think of a lathe. Steel jaws clamping an aluminum rod. All sorts of pressure and forces are applied during the machining but so long as the rod is clamped properly there will be no problems or wear to the rod where it is held. Now clamp it improperly and you better step the f@ck back or have good insurance.

its actually embarrassing that there are so many simple huge flaws and they actually released it to the public. Glad it got an honest review. I'm all for mechanical posts ( i rock a gravity dropper), but someone could do better, obviously not crank brothers

I've had a Kronolog for about a month now, no issues so far - although I followed their instructions to the letter and have the recommended cable slack. This is a pretty familiar situation for me. I had a KS last year with zero issues when half the guys I ride with were wearing out their KS posts or blowing air seals etc. My Joplin however did stop working after a season of riding.
I guess only time will tell.

phoned and tried to cancel mine today after reading this review but it had already shipped and arrived at lunch time. Got it at a good price so bugger it, I'll try it out and see how it goes. If the same thing happens to mine as did here I'll be sending the thing back.

Another interesting "feature" of the design is the way the knurled surface emerges from below the seal, where those ridges will all fill up with dirt, and then when the post is dropped they'll carry that dirt inside the post underneath the seal. Not to mention the ridges wearing the seal.

I feel the same as every one too much for a floored design. I made my own out of an old tail gate strut and it works fine and has done for months. the onlt down side is you have to use the post quick release, and it work while pedaling

The reverb is a POS own ine for long enough and it will fail on you. Google doesn't lie. The KS LEV is hands down the best dropperbout there. Im picking up a CB Kronolog tomorrow for $200 caah. Going to gamble in this one just to see if Mike knows what he's talking about. I also.own a KS Lev and. Reverb so don't hate.

@Abagaba - had the very same issues. For a time it worked when I mounted the upper part reversed against the lower. This means you have to run your post with the locking mechanism backwards, but I had no problems with tire scratching all over it. Now the post is a mess, it drops about two inches and theres nothing you can do about it. This is surely the design fault, not the misuse, which is rather sad - the post could be a win, with its super easy user-friendly maitnenace.

I bought a Kronolog seatpost this week but it's useless; the clamp never holds the saddle up, no matter what adjustments are made the post collapses when weight is applied, scratching the telescoping post in the process.

Also there's lots of grease leaking onto the post

I'm requesting a refund for being sold a faulty product and looks like I'll have to spend the extra £110 (EEK!) on a KS LEV.

Also the instructions are poor - it's just diagrams without any textual explanations - a cheap but unacceptable way to accommodate multiple languages! There is an online video which apparently shows you how to install, but all it does is show you what it should be like once installed = pathetic!

BTW: Warranty says 2 years, provided it is serviced annually by Crank Brothers.

Great review! I have had a KS dropper post for the past year. No problems with it at all. The cable does do what Mike says and slacken when the seat is dropped, but no issues with that either it stays tight to the frame. I did take the advice of PB and put an old DH inner tube sleeve on the post to keep the grit and mud off of the post/ seal which may be contributing to its flawless performance. While I like the bar clamp idea steel on aluminum I do not like. $300???? WTF

I have been waiting for somebody to make a simple mechanical seatpost like this for ages, to me it seems the best route forwards and has plenty of scope for future weight and cost savings. Despite all the recent competition I have always liked the simplicity of the GravityDropper (if only they changed that AWFUL lever), this seems like an improvement all round on that design.

Having said all this I am very concerned about the wearing issue, I think CrankBrothers are trying to weasel out of a known design flaw there. This needs to be fixed before I will buy, but I will buy if it is fixed.

Pretty nice post, but the CB response to the wear turned me off. So it seems likely if you buy this post and have some issues, you will probably get denied warranty due to "incorrect setup". We're adjusting a seatpost, not sending an astronaut into space. if this post is "that" sensitive to an incorrect adjustment a user can do, then i'll pass.

What I want to see is what the shaft looks like at full extension...
Dobt care what it looks like where i dont actuall sit on it.
Pull it appart and show me what state the shaft is at the point of full extension please!

these things are so god damn pointless! they either need to stop making them for a year and sit down a think about it properly instead of bringing out a 'new' yet still totally crap product every year!

Sorry but I question how they have a single post with 2000 hours of riding on it. That's 83 days. Accounting for sleeping, that's 249 days of full riding, 7 days a week. Unrealistic and actually I call BS.

Not having to worry about your bike or the components adorning it, is so important to me. Proven reliability is always going to be the deciding factor to any purchase I make.
'
Even if you are a Crankbrother Slag you should avoid this......you know who you are AND GET ON THE 'REVERB' BANDWAGON!
This may be conflicting to other opinions but I've owned my RS Reverb Mk2 for a year nearly and not had a single issue.

Wait a minute here. Expecting to have a product set up "within a few mm" is not unreasonable. A rear derailleur out by "a few mm" would not shift right, and could take out your wheel. Brakes out "by a few mm" would not work very well and be dangerous.

I couldn't care less whether this seat post is any good or not. I have a joplin that hasn't failed, and 2 KS posts that are still working. Proper setup and maintenance of all components is necessary. This review is biased. The manufacturer provided the post properly adjusted, Mike changed it and it failed. A proper review would be to get another post, keep it set in its recommended tolerances and see what happened. If it happened again, there is a design flaw. No one would say Shimano put out crap if Mike loosened the limit screws on his Saint derailleur and took out his rear wheel.

Maybe the seatpost is crap, but control for the reviewer messing with it first.

I should have been a bit clearer in the review.. The post comes from CB with the cable and housing strung and ready to go. This is how I first used the Kronolog post, which included quite a bit of riding. It slipped vertically with this setup. I swapped the cable and housing, both to better see how it functioned and for a "Tech Tuesday", and it still slipped vertically. The review isn't biased in the slightest - the post didn't work well. As noted, the tolerances are far too exacting for the general consumer as well.

I guess SRAM XX is too exacting and we should go back to Alivio 8spd as well. They are more forgiving for the "average consumer"-AKA too stoopid.

You are changing your story now, which was at minimum poorly written, and at worst covering your tracks. This makes you lose your credibility as a reviewer.

If your story was true, did you try to "slip the clutch" type use, which causes premature wear. When racing moto, I could burn out a clutch in one race or less, if used aggressively (costs $300.00 to replace) or a whole season if I didn't use it aggressively. I wouldn't say the product was junk because I like the performance of slipping the clutch.

Regardless of the response, you flat out dismissed the manufacturer as lying. That is biased. Did you verify there wasn't something wrong with the cable as the manufacturer suggested? Did you try a second post to vwerify the problem was not a fluke that would be fixed under warranty? If you duplicated the problem without slipping the mechanism on a second post, there is a problem.

@Willie1, your argument is very poor at best. If you had your derailleur out of tune by however many millimeters it wouldn't work properly and you'd know it right away. And having a derailleur take out spokes in a wheel is also a very poor comparison because you're talking about one component wrecking another. If Crank Brothers expects their parts to be installed, used and serviced by the general riding public they should use proper design and testing protocol to ensure that the product is suitable for its intended use. If the post is installed correctly it will work and last, if it isn't then it shouldn't work. This is very common in any industry.

As an experience design and manufacturing mechanical engineer it is clear that this design is terrible and will fail. I mentioned this in my post during the press release of this seatpost. Nobody with any good experience in materials and mechanical engineering would think this is a decent design. Crank Brothers must hire recent graduates and industrial designers to design their products because they look nice but just don't last. Why do you think they're rebuilding their pedals for free at the Sea Otter and giving out free bearing kits?

@Willie1 - Your criticism is a good thing in my books.. I do appreciate the comments and where you're coming from, but you should know that my "story" hasn't changed one bit. I rode the post with the stock cable/housing, and I also replaced it. The slipping problem occurred both before and after, not to mention it also happening when I removed the cable to allow the plates to completely close against the upper tube (as mentioned in the review).

Regarding your comment "...you flat out dismissed the manufacturer as lying. That is biased" - I have to disagree, obviously. I simply backed up my words about the post being set up correctly, which it was. I replaced the cable and housing, correctly, and the issue was still occurring.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the review but it really makes it seem like you tore it apart as soon as you got it and then put it back together and rode,later replacing the cable when you were having problems. Now I don't ride bikes or know anything but that seems to me like riding a bike with improperly aligned brakes wearing the shit out of them till they fail and then bleeding them and expecting them to do better. Once you damage the pads or worse the caliper they've got to be replaced. In much the same way once you damaged the post it needed to be replaced not the cable. The plates can't sit evenly and the friction system fails if the post has been damaged. Just a thought. Now clearly it's a downside that the post is damaged so easily but as far as the system itself goes? Me I'll let some others test it before I decide.

Until the problem is duplicated, you haven't ruled out a warranty covered issue, or a setup issue. Even if you rode it first, and it slipped,you should have gone through the warranty process, and if the replacement did the same thing,the review would be valid. Interesting how questioning the testing methods results in negative feedback by the sheep.

@Willie1 - I'm not testing Crankbrothers' warranty, I'm testing the post that they sent me... which very well could have been sent to any consumer who then would have had to deal with it. I let the manufacturer know the issues that I was having ahead of time, and also included a response from them (not something that you see on many reviews, but an addition that adds to it) - my due diligence was more than done.

There is a good chance that I'll be on another Kronolog in the future and that you'll get to read about that one as well, but in the meantime there looks to be other reviews popping up online that corroborate my thoughts.

It appears the other reviewer had similar problems, but his occurred after he ran it without lubrication. There is probably a problem with the clamping mechanism, but I wouldn't continue using a fork after a seal failed without replacing the fluid and flushing the internals. Maybe this is why my components rarely fail. Any moving part should not be considered maintenance free. My dropper posts are inspected and serviced as my forks and shocks are. Oil bath forks have longer service intervals than cartridge forks. Use it without lube, and the filings will damage everything they come in contact with.

Mike, you are not expected to "test" warranties, but there are many situations when something is out of spec, and the replacement is trouble free. It appears CB is acknowledging the clamp may be out of spec and will warranty the posts affected (separate issue from my concern with the review.) The review presents opinion along with fact.

i don't know, for that amount of money this shouldn't happen... sounds like if your cable is like a nanometer too long or too short it wouldn't work properly and damage itself. on a 50 bucks dropper post why not but for 300$??